Qatar Charity Launches Pediatric Heart Surgery Caravan in Taiz Governorate, Yemen

In Taiz Governorate, Yemen, a medical caravan specializing in pediatric heart surgery and catheterization was launched in partnership between Qatar Charity, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, Sidra Medicine, and Yemen's Ministry of Public Health and Population.

“Al Jazirah state in central Sudan witnessed today, Sunday, the launch of a specialized medical camp to perform catheterization and open-heart surgeries for children suffering from congenital defects, under the sponsorship and full funding of Qatar Charity”

Al-Jazeera Net

The launch took place in the presence of Abdulqawi al-Mukhallafi, First Deputy Governor of Taiz, and Dr. Abu Dhar al-Jundi, Director of the Center for Cardiology, Vascular Surgery and Kidney Transplant in Taiz, with delegations from Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent.

Al-Jazeera Net

The caravan’s activities are scheduled to continue until May 22, with six specialists participating in pediatric cardiology catheterization, pediatric cardiac surgery, intensive care, and anesthesia alongside local medical staff at the Taiz Center for Cardiology, Vascular Surgery and Kidney Transplant.

The program aims to perform no fewer than 85 pediatric cardiac catheterization procedures and 10 open-heart surgeries as part of a medical and humanitarian effort to save children’s lives and alleviate suffering for families described as among the poorest.

In the same context, Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent previously donated a specialized heart catheterization device costing one million U.S. dollars to the host center, helping enable more than 500 diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures and 100 therapeutic catheterization procedures free of charge for children and elderly from the poorest families.

In central Sudan, Al Jazirah state witnessed the launch of a specialized medical camp to perform catheterization and open-heart surgeries for children suffering from congenital defects, under the sponsorship and full funding of Qatar Charity.

The official launching ceremony was attended by Sudan’s Minister of Health Heitham Ibrahim, the acting ambassador of the State of Qatar in Sudan Abdullah Al-Khatir, and Salah Al-Basha, head of the National Sudanese Heart Center, and it was broadcast by Al Jazeera Mubasher.

Jarida Al-Raya

Al-Khatir said the opening of the medical camp in Al Jazirah state coincides with the eye surgery program to remove cataracts in four Sudanese states, involving more than 600 people.

Salah Al-Basha said the camp aims to provide therapeutic interventions including around 50 to 60 interventional catheterization procedures and open-heart surgeries for children whose families lack the financial capacity to cover treatment costs abroad.

Heitham Ibrahim directed greetings to the medical and nursing staff he described as the White Army, stressing that they continued working day and night under complex conditions without receiving regular financial entitlements.

In Sudan, Heitham Ibrahim said the National Heart Center in Wad Madani in Al Jazirah state currently represents the only specialized medical center in Sudan to provide surgical treatment, catheterization, and medical training.

“Al Jazirah state in central Sudan witnessed today, Sunday, the launch of a specialized medical camp to perform catheterization and open-heart surgeries for children suffering from congenital defects, under the sponsorship and full funding of Qatar Charity”

Al-Jazeera Net

Heitham Ibrahim also disclosed an agreement reached with the Ministry of Finance to finalize arrangements aimed at implementing a comprehensive plan to develop hospitals in Al Jazirah state and pay overdue entitlements to workers to ensure continued provision of health services efficiently.

In Yemen, the Taiz caravan’s medical delegation included named specialists such as Dr. Younes Boujemlin, Senior Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist at Sidra Medicine (Head of the Medical Delegation), and Dr. Nabil Al-Bahlouli, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon.

The Yemen program’s stated targets included 85 pediatric cardiac catheterization procedures and 10 open-heart surgeries, while the Qatar-supported donation of a specialized heart catheterization device costing one million U.S. dollars helped the host center expand free diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Across both initiatives, the stated focus was immediate medical and surgical care free of charge for children, with the Sudan camp described as aiming to save the lives of dozens of children and the Yemen caravan framed as supporting the health sector and providing free medical care to children from the poorest families.